Desk for x-ray apparatus or the like.



PLTYENTED APR. 14, 1903.

APPLIOATIQN FILED JULY 10. 1 02. so MODEL.

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. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE RA\VLINS SMITH, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DESK FOR X-RAY APPARATUS OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,499, dated April14, 1903.

Application filed July 10. 1902.

T (tZZ whom it rim/y concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE RAWLINS SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Altoona, in the county of Blairand State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Desk for X-Ray Apparatusor the Like, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to adesk suitable for housing electrical apparatushaving currents of high potential such, for instance, as Ruhmkord coils,oscillators, &c.-and which is particularly suitable for instruments usedin X-ray work, as well as wireless-telegraphic instruments, 860. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section, somewhat enlarged, upon the line 1 l ofFig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow and showing my invention asapplied to an ordinary desk; and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the deskwhen open and in use.

The desk comprises the bottom 1, back 2, and end pieces 3 4, these partsbeing of the usual pattern. A base-plate 5 may be placed within the deskto be used as a support for some of the instruments. The side pieces orpanels 3 4 are provided with curved tracks 6, l

as shown more particularlyin Fig.1. A cur tain consisting of a flexibleweb 7, to which are secured the rods 8, preferably half-round in form,is slidably mounted within the desk,=

so that the ends of the rods engage the tracks 6 in the usual manner.One of the half-round rods or slats 8 is provided with a plurality ofhollow sleeves 9, made, preferably, ofvul canite and used for thepurpose of holding spring contacts, as hereinafter described. Brackets10 are used for the purpose of supporting the Ruhmkorff coil 11..Through holes 12 in the respective ends of the coil the wires 13 leadupward. and backward and are connected with stationary contacts 14,preferably beveled, as indicated in Fig. 1. Other stationary contacts 15are connected with the top 17 of the desk, being preferably mounted upona panel 16, of insulating material. Through another panel 18 passes arod 19, of vulcanite,provided wit-h a handle 20, as shown Serial Nb.115,053. (No model.)

more particularly in Fig. 1. This insulatingrod 19 is connected directlywith a metallic rod 21 by means of the screw 22. The rod 21 movabletherein.

Upon the rod 21 is mounted a button 24, preferably of vulcanite. Againstthis button a spiral spring 25-presses at one end, its other endengaging an insulating-washer 26. The rod 21 terminates in a revolublehead 27, to whichan electrode 28 is connected, the electrode preferablypassing through a hole 29 in the head 27. Any number of these ing heads27, 3l, and 32, may be employed. While I show three such rods andhandles in Fig. 2, I do not limit myself tothis particular number;neither do I limit myself to this particular construction of the rodsand hanspark 33 maybe produced, or these electrodes may be connectedwith any apparatus which is to be highly charged with staticelectricitysuch, for instance, as Crookes tubes, Geissler tubes, due. 34of the desk has the same construction as that in use withordin'ary'desks.

Within the vulcanite sleeves 9 are mounted spring-pins 35 36,-which'arepressed asunder by means of spiral springs 37.

The operation of my device is as follows: The desk being closed in theusual manner, the sleeves Qoccupy the respective positions .indicated bydotted lines at the right in Fig.

l. The curtain being moved back in the usual manner, however, brings thesleeves 9 into alinement with the stationary contacts 1415, so that therods 21 and electrodes 28 are connected with the terminals of theRuhmkorff coil 11. The coil isnow ready for use. When, however, the deskisclosed in the usual manner, the secondary terminals are broken, forthe reason that the spring-pins 35 36, together with the sleeves 9, arewithdrawn bodily from between the contact plates 14 15. In thisconnection it should be observed that the powerful static chargesproduced by large Ruhmkorff coils are dangerous and are liable to provefatal if received accidentally. It should be further noted that thesecondary terminals should lead as near directly as possible to thepoints The lower portion 1 passes through an insulating-sleeve 23 and iselectrodes 28 30 33, provided with rods havdles; Between the electrodes28 and 30 the from which the discharge is to be utilized, as any sort ofcircuitous route taken by the secondary wires is liable to cause leakageto occur. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent. 1

. 1. A desk for X-ray apparatus and the like, comprising a hollow memberprovided with a movable curtain, stationary contacts disposed adjacentto said curtain, hollow sleeves connected with said curtain, andcontact-pins carried-by the sleeves for the purpose of engaging saidstationary contacts, and means for connecting an electrical device withsaid stationary contacts.

2. A desk for X-ray apparatus and the like,

' comprising a hollow member provided with tracks, a curtain slidablyengaging said tracks, stationary contacts disposed adjacent to the pathof said curtain and upon opposite sides thereof, and contacts mountedupon said curtain and free to engage and disengage said stationarycontacts when said ourtain is moved, the said. contacts comprisinghollow sleeves made of insulating material, and spring-actuatedcontact-pins mounted therein.

3. Adesk for X-ray apparatus and the like, comprisinga hollow memberprovided with tracks, a movable curtain consisting of a flexible webprovided with parallel longitudinal rods, said rods slidably engagingsaid tracks, stationary contacts connected with said hollow member anddisposed adjacent to the path of said curtain, hollow sleeves connectedwith one of said rods and carrying springcontacts free to engage saidstationary contacts, and means for connecting said stationary contactswith electrical apparatus.

4. A desk for X-rayapparatus and the like,

comprising a hollow member provided with tracks, a movable curtainconsisting of a flexible web provided with longitudinal rods,said rodsslidably engaging said tracks, one of said rods being provided withapertures, contacts connected with said hollow member and disposedadjacent to the path of said curtain, and spring-contacts disposedwithin said apertures and free to engage said contacts con nected withsaid hollow member.

' 5. Adcsk for X-ray apparatus and the like,

comprising a hollow member, a movable cloing said stationary contacts,means for connecting an electrical device with the stationary contacts,rods of insulating material provided with handles and connected with thehollow member, metallic rods connected with said insulating-rods andwith the stationary contacts, and electrodes connected with heads onsaid metallic rods.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HORACE RAVVLINS SMITH.

Witnesses:

CHARLES S. Downs, D. K. HOWE.

